Anger over students' 'Jew parking' gibe

Not on: The Facebook group has been condemned as anti-Semitic by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies

Chris Jackson, file photo: Getty Images

Senior students at two elite Sydney schools have been accused of setting up internet sites which feature anti-Semitic abuse.

One Facebook site features a discussion network called "The Jew Parking Appreciation Group", which suggests bad parking is an art in Bellevue Hill, an affluent suburb in eastern Sydney where many Jews live.

The site appears to have been set up by senior boys from the fee-paying Scots College in Bellevue Hill.

Another site, which urges people to support Holocaust denial, appears to have been created with the help of a student from Kambala girls' school.

Vic Alhadeff, the chief executive at the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, says he is not amused by the parking jibe.

He says the site defines "Jew parking" as when a car is slightly over the line and taking more than one parking spot.

While the site has since been modified by Facebook, Mr Alhadeff says it still villifies Jewish people.

"Australia is a society which respects diversity, and any comments which trash that, any comments which make derogatory remarks against any one sector of society, fly in the face of Australia," he said.

"[It is] damaging and [it] sends the signal that racism is acceptable. Racism is never acceptable, no matter what group, no matter what sector, it's directed against."

Mr Alhadeff says the site cannot just be written off as a joke.

"The issue is a slippery slope," he said.

"In other words, it's never acceptable to make racist jokes, it's never acceptable to make racist comments."

Scots College's own internet site proclaims it to be one of Australia's oldest and most respected independent boy's schools.

Mr Alhadeff says the Board of Deputies has been in touch with school authorities.

"The Jewish Board of Deputies contacted Scots College, they were unaware of it at the time we contacted them, and we made them aware of it, and the senior officer I spoke to undertook to look into it," he said.

Dr Ian Lambert, the principal of Scots College, says racial slurs are unacceptable and he is investigating the claims.

"At this stage there's a lot of conjecture about what has been put on Facebook but we certainly wouldn't support any students that hold those views," he said.

"My strongest concern is that for well over a century the Scots College has supported Jewish students, staff and families in significant ways, and many of our greatest supporters are Jewish," he said.

"The way in which this has been reported is extremely disappointing and doesn't capture the ethos of our college and the concern of our community in relation to tolerance and acceptance. And that's a great pity."

Dr Lambert says the school is investigating whether current students are involved.

Mr Alhadeff says any students found to be linked to either site should be set straight.

"The best response would be for them to see the end result of where racism can lead," he said.

"Say, for example, it is in Sydney. The Sydney Jewish Museum, which is in fact a Holocaust museum - let them have a quick visit to the museum and let them see the end point of racism."